Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-12-07

There were Indications of domes-
tic storm brewing as Richard Hayes
entered his house at seven O'Clock one
fine evening in June; his little three
year-oid Mary ran eagerly to meet
him, and baby Harry stretched out
his dimpled hands and prattled a
glad welcome, but his wife's face
showed that no peasant greeting
awaited him from her.
$50 you have condescended to put
in an appearance at last!" she said
angrily. 81 concluded you intended
TO stay ali night watching that silly
base bali game and guzziing beer"
Richards face flushed painfully at
the last taunt, so wholly undeserved.
Although harsh words were becoming
of almost daily occurrence in his once
happy home, hefelt them most keenly
now, as they were uttered in the pres
ence of an intimate friend, who had
never before seen these too frequent
outbursts OF anger.
"Well, come to SUPPER" Eva said
ungraciously, "you have kept us wait
ing an hour, and I've no doubt Clarice
is half starved"
Clarice protested pleasantly, and
Richard made courteous excuses for
his delay, but Eva was too angry and
impatient TO heed them. Her sharp
words and upkind reproaches marred
all the pleasure there might have
been at her neatly spread supper-table.
At the earliest moment Richard es-
capped from the unpleasant home at
mosphere and took his little ones out
for a walk.
To Clarice the whole scene had been
painful. Slight indications OF growing
unbappiness between her friend and
her husband had been betrayed before,
but nothing like this. And it had
been such a pleasant home. She re-
membered how proud Eva had been
Of her handsome even-tempered hus-
band, how devotedly she had seemed
TO love hirn in those early days. She
recalled the tender condolences Eva
had poured into her ears Of his patience
mis- constant kindness and gener-
GUS devotion; but now, in her impa-
thence and ill-temper, every thing was
wrong-petty faults and folbles that
would have passed unnotlced IN the
old days, were dWelt upon harshly
and magnifed into serious defects.
A merry, thougntless girl, fond Of
society aud gay pleasures, Eva had
taken upon herself the duties of wife
and mother without a thought of
how weary the burden might prove to
be.
For two or three years she bore
them remarkably well; she was very
proud OF her handsome husband, her
pleasant home and her bright, spright-
ly little girl, whom every one admired
and petted. But with the coming
of the second child her cares increased,
the household duties became heavier,
and her confinement to home closer.
She never realized how largely the nerv-
GUS irritation, which had made her SO
cross and fault-fnding, was caused by
these things.
Confined to her close, warm rooms
day after day, with rarely any other
society than her little ones, who
shared her irritability, the troubles
had increased rapidly.
From an occasional impatient word,
it had grown to sharp, angry re-
proaches and constant fault finding,
until Richard was beginning to seek
pleasure in the society Of friends out
side, only TO be met with still harsher
words each time on his return.
Thou htless and ignorant OF the laws
of health, it never occurred to either
that ride or walk each day, g. few
hours in the ouen air, would do
more to cure all this trouble than
would either sermons or good resolu-
tions.
The day OF Clarice's visit every
thing had gone wrong. 1t had been
very warm, and Eva had spent
many hours in her close, hot kitchen,
over the ironing and baking, while
Nav, mischievous little puss, had
been unusually troublesome, scarcely
out OF one piece of mischief before she
was into another, keeping the baby
in constant fretfulness by her teasing
until Eva's patience was exhausted
without the additional vexatlon o.
having her husband take advantage
of halt holiday to attend baseball
game, and delay MS return beyond the
usual hour.
ooh, if girls only knew when they
were we'll of, they would never marry, .
she said bitterly, as she seated her
self at the parlor window with her
friend. "Just look at the cosey life
led before marriage; and now 1T is
work, work, from morning till night,
no chance for rest Or recreation, no
opportunity to 60 out, and the chill
dren drive me nearly wild, while my
husband cares no more than q block
for all my troubles. On wish | were
free once more! would" she broke
of abruptly, and leaned out of the
window, For heavea's sake" she
cried, excitedly, 'just look at that
child May, come out of the road this
instant, or you'll get good whipping.
Dick Hayes, are you crazy? There's